#beth greene meta

[longearedhare]

besides the fact that the age gap is gross, the thing I don’t like about bethyl is that their relationship is so much more INTERESTING if it isn’t romantic/sexual.

You have two people who are incredibly traumatized and could not be more different (Beth is by all accounts fairly privileged but she’s seen awful things, including her father’s head getting hacked off with a sword. Daryl had an awful upbringing and had to grapple with conflicting loyalties between his horrible brother and the group that protected him, as well as all the deaths he’s seen.)

Daryl resents Beth because she’s getting to have a childhood of sorts, even during an apocalypse. She has a loving family and everyone around her likes her. She sings, just because. He DEFINITELY resents that when she tried to end her life at the farmhouse, her family stopped her and loved her through it. When has anyone done that for Daryl?

At the same time, because Beth has allowed herself to love more people than Daryl (at this point in the show), she’s also lost a hell of a lot of people. Two boyfriends, her mom, her brother, her dad, and for all she knows, her sister. And she doesn’t let herself grieve any of it.

Meanwhile, Daryl can’t imagine letting himself be happy (and he still doesn’t let it happen for a WHILE after that). He’s presumably in his late thirties/early forties and truly believes he has nothing to show for it. Beth is able to see that he’s actually done a lot for the community and has become a true leader, completely of his own accord.

So they teach each other something. Beth tells Daryl he’s not worthless, he’s not nobody. Daryl realizes that Beth isn’t so much naive as she is trusting, and that it’s right for a 17-year-old to be able to trust people. He’s able to understand why she trusts him and believes in him.

And while Beth may certainly have some teenage crush on him because he saved her life, I think it’s so much more genuine if she teaches him these things because she really just believes he’s a good person. On Daryl’s side, his saving Beth and trying to find her after she gets taken PROVES how far he’s come, and adding a sexual/romantic motivation to that undoes a lot of his personal growth, imo.

[thesoftboiledegg]

I wasn't sure what to make of "That's Amorte" before it aired. When signs pointed toward "the spaghetti comes from aliens," I wondered if we had a rehash of Futurama's "The Problem with Poppers," where the crew finds a delicious treat on a planet only to learn that the "popplers" are underdeveloped alien offspring.

Rick and Morty's take on Soylent Green also seemed likely. Everyone knows the twist: Soylent Green is people! A dark sci-fi concept like that could be a ripe parody for this series.

However, "That's Amorte" adapted a concept that other shows have referenced a thousand times and took a right turn. No one's angry at the humans for eating their suicide victims: in fact, they love the spaghetti and turn it into a corporate product.

This is an obvious shot at capitalism and how companies will destroy the environment, brutally slaughter animals and turn cities into concrete wastelands just to make a buck. And I mean--chowing down on this spaghetti isn't that different from eating meat. I'm an omnivore, but I kept thinking that at least these pasta producers chose to die.

The suicide element gave this episode a poignant touch instead of turning it into an edgelord slog where the humanoids kill people and throw them in a meat grinder. Admittedly, the clones leaned in that direction, and that scene also shows how Rick struggles to understand the world outside himself. He doesn't react when the clones kill each other, but one of his daughters is a clone, and he'd be horrified if anything happened to her.

On its own, "That's Amorte" is a great episode. However, when you take the whole series into account, the plot retreads the same old Morty narrative: Morty tries to do the right thing, it backfires, Rick dodges responsibility while antagonizing Morty to be petty, Rick gets stuck fixing everything and Morty tries to pretend it never happened.

I keep waiting for something good to happen to Morty. Rick has plenty of episodes where he makes positive changes: going to therapy ("Analyze Piss," "Air Force Wong"), improving his relationship with Jerry ("Final DeSmithation," "The Jerrick Trap"), trying to do right by Beth ("Bethic Twinstinct"), being kinder to Morty ("Full Meta Jackrick"), etc.

Season five doesn't emphasize his character development as much, but plenty of scenes show how much he's changing. Even season four has moments where he's gentler.

Rick's being his petty season-two self in "That's Amorte," but even here, he does the right thing by showing the world exactly what--and who--they're eating. In earlier seasons, he would've done that just to be an asshole. Here, I don't think that he was trying to torment people as much as he just knew that this spaghetti shitshow had to end.

Same with the spaghetti itself. He didn't feed it to the Smiths, then show them the dead body just to torture them. I think he genuinely wanted to share the spaghetti because it was delicious, but he also figured that they don't want to know where it comes from.

On a similar note, I enjoyed Rick's moments of physical gentleness. Great animation detail.

So Rick gets a little character development and saves the day again, and Morty gets...nothing. Just a rehash of old storylines. "Mortynight Run" in particular has almost the same plot, beat-for-beat.

"That's Amorte" touched on Morty's depression and his family's coldness toward him but didn't go further than that. Morty keeps cycling through the same issues with no resolution. He blows up in one episode, then shuts down the next. His attempts to do the right thing go astray. When's this kid going to catch a break?

Again, this episode isn't bad. It's funny, original and well-written and has a lot to say about ethics and capitalism. Still, I don't understand why reviews on other sites keep emphasizing Morty's character development because I didn't see much.

I will say that everyone's horror at where the spaghetti comes from was a great takedown of the meat industry. Everyone loves sausage, but nobody wants to see how it's made!

Still, next time we get a Morty episode, I hope that it says more about him and less about the world outside his cartoon.

[supeherosunite]

Original Characters

Pax kent ( cousin of kara) ( Kryptonian cousin / adopted earth sister of Clark) face cam bailee madison

Edith Kent (sister of Clark Kent) face cam Heather Rattray

JaKari Kent (brother of Clark Kent) face cam Laird Macintosh

Lara Kent ( daughter of Clark Kent ) face cam Amanda Fein

Lulu Kent ( daughter of Clark Kent ) face cam Caitlin Fein

Gaia white ( Meta-human with nature powers ) face cam Georgie Henley

Uranus white (Meta-human with nature powers ) face cam Freddie Highmore

Yara smith ( mutant avenger ) face cam Bridgit Mendler

Amity Jones ( young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent ) face cam Drew Barrymore

Lilly Cullen (adoptive daughter of Alice and jasper ) (twilight) face cam Becky Rosso

Violet Smith (profiler) (criminal minds) face cam Haley Lu Richardson

Sammy Brown ( agent) (ncis) face cam Julia Butters

Senara Sohma (Zodiac member) (fruits basket) face cam Emma The Promised Neverland

DC COMICS

Superman

Martha Kent

Clark Kent (Superman)

Jon Kent (Superboy)

Jordan Kent (Superboy)

Jonathan Kent (kon-El)

Lois Joanne Lane

Doctor Emil Hamilton

Tess Mercer

James Bartholomew Olsen

Chloe Sullivan-Queen (Watchtower)

Ryan James

Jonathan Sullivan-Queen (Speedy)

Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)

Alex Danvers (Director Danvers)

Mon-El (Prince of Daxam

Winn Scott (Toyman)

Nia Nal (Dreamer)

Lena Luthor

Batman

James Gordon (police commissioner)

Alfred Pennyworth (Penny One)

Bruce Wayne (Batman)

Selina Kyle (Catwoman)

Kate Kane (Batwoman)

Harleen Quinzel (Harley Quinn)

Terry Wayne (Batman)

Dick Grayson (Nightwing)

Jason Todd (Red Hood)

Tim drake (Red Robin)

Damian Wayne (Robin),

Duke Thomas (The Signal)

Henry King (Gotham)

Luke Fox (Batwing)

David Zavimbe (Batwing)

Minhkhoa "Khoa" Khan (Ghost-Maker)

Barbara Gordon (Oracle)

Stephanie Brown (Spoiler)

Cassandra Cain (Orphan)

Claire Clover (Gotham Girl)

Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael)

Julia Pennyworth (Penny-Two)

Tiffany Fox (Batgirl)

Harper Row (Bluebird)

Flash

Barry Allen (flash)

Iris Ann West-Allen (Eye in the Sky)

Nora West-Allen (XS)

Bart Allen (Impulse)

Wally West (Kid Flash)

Jesse Chambers Wells (Jesse Quick)

Jenna Marie West (Trajectory)

Joanie Horton (Joanie Swift)

Dr. Caitlin Snow (Killer Frost)

Ronald Ronnie Raymond (Firestorm)

Cisco Ramon (Vibe)

Harrison Wells

Dr. Harrison Harry Wells

Harrison H.R. Wells

Harrison Sherloque Wells

Harrison Nash Wells (Pariah)

Maya Wells

Allegra Garcia (Ultraviolet)

Chester Phineas Runk (Black Hole)

Hunter Zolomon (Zoom)

Julian Albert (Alchemy)

Hartley Rathaway (Pied Piper)

Green arrow

Oliver Jonas Queen (Green Arrow)

Felicity Megan Smoak (Watchtower)

William Clayton (White Feather)

Mia Smoak (Blackstar)

Thea Dearden Queen (Speedy)

Roy William Harper Jr (Arsenal)

Dinah Laurel Lance (Black Canary)

Captain Sara Lance (White Canary)

Rory Regan (Ragman)

Zoe Ramirez (Canarie)

Thomas Tommy Merlyn (Dark Archer)

Sara Diggle (Harbinger)

Emiko Adachi Queen (Green Arrow)

Titans/ Young Justice

Garfield "Gar" Logan (Beast Boy)

Koriand'r Kory Anders (starfire)

Rachel Roth (Raven)

Garth (Aqualad)

Karen Beecher (Bumblebee)

Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle)

Billy Batson (Shazam)

M'gann M'orzz (Miss Martian)

Evelyn Sharp (Artemis)

Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl)

Mike Dugan (starboy)

Beth Chapel (Doctor Mid-Nite)

Yolanda Montez (Wildcat)

Richard Tyler (Hourman)

Henry King Jr. (Brainwave junior)

Joey Zarick (Zarrick the Great)

Cameron Mahkent (Icicle junior)

Others

Beebo (God of War)

Zatanna (Mistress of Magic)

Leonard Snart (Captain Cold)

Ray Palmer (The Atom)

Martin Stein (Firestorm)

Nate Heywood (Citizen Steal)

Amaya Jiwe (Vixen)

Patrick "Pat" Dugan (S.T.R.I.P.E.)

Lisa snart (Golden Glider)

Marvel

Spider-Man

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Miles (Ultimate Spider-Man)

Gwen (Spider-Gwen)

Cindy (Silk)

Michelle (MJ)

Avengers

Clint Barton (Hawkeye)

Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow)

Steve Rogers (Captain America)

Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier)

(White Wolf)

Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)

Scott Lang (Ant-Man)

Young Avengers

Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)

Doreen Allene Green (Squirrel Girl)

X-men

Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)

Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver)

[ronmanmob]

meta + textures: food, clothing, and sensory input

Meta Meme

"--There's...a lot, 'ere." He'd work this spool of thought out through words if it killed him. It'd be no other way than explained, even if it took Ron an hour, four mugs of Horlicks and seven cigarettes. "--Caveat, m'skizafrenik" Beth knew that, of course, but if he was going to explain everything out loud he'd put even the basics down in spoken print. "So inputs is..." A moment's pause, and that was ok. The bridge between brain and mouth was busy.

"Wha' comes from ahtside-" A gesture indicates the room; a second pulls his hand towards himself. "Might look t'you like fours bu' might 'it me like sevens, righ?" Perception's a hell of a thing, each person's brain casting its own interpretations. "You see green, I see red. You 'ear music, I 'ear nails on a board. Li'dat." That word was borrowed, part of the not-Creole creole they'd made between them.

Ron steepled his fingers before him, elbows to butcher's block, lips hidden behind knuckles. He pressed there as he thought through his next offering. "So--" Here it came. "--Wha' I make'a th'world's unique t'me, 'n on th'same token, f'th same reason-" Schizophrenia. "-I feel like...a sponge." His fingers came away from his lips now, one hand flat where he'd been leaning on the block, one twitching midair, his fingers curling like he was wringing the sponge he mentioned out.

"Like anyfin' tha' touches me, encountahs me-" A repeat of that gesture towards the room; that pull in towards himself. "-Might invade. B'cause I ain't got th'control'a them inputs ovvah people 'av. Ain't no filtah. So if I don't keep 'em aht, in they come."

A bit of a pacing turn came on, back and fore behind the block. It was indicative of nothing other than the want to wander, no stress or consternation in the set of Ron's shoulders, the tug of a frown on his brow, the curl of his lip. He was processing, ordering thoughts, and movement helped with that.

"Could be any kinda input, any kinda sense. Scent, touch, 'earin', sight, taste -- don't mattah. Sight's th'worst, bu' tha's an 'ole ovvah conversation. Food y'asked, tha's taste...Texture--" Curled fingers rubbed at his lips.

"--Anyfin' tha' pops when y'bite it, I can't 'eat. Squid - nah. Octapus - nah. Anyfin tha's got a texture it shouldn't 'av...Say I bite a crackah 'n i's soft, not crunchy. Nah - spat aht. Consistency...As in same again, same again, I frive off it wiv food. S'ow I fahnd safe ones. Bu' it only takes once - one unexpected change - 'n tha's it. I'll not touch it again.

"Cloves..." A track-skip and he's thoughtful with it. "They's different t'food. Food's bone-deep grief t'me; 'ard fuckin' work. Cloves is jus' cloves, though there's textures'a fabric I like 'n them I don't so much. Them I don't like I'll jus' avoid. Them I like - cotton sheets, right? - them I'll seek aht. Bu' if I find a cotton tha' feels like a silk, it won't turn me off'a cotton. I'll jus' ferret abaht t'figure aht why it feels different than it should."

[dynastymuses]

FULL NAME: elisbeth barlowe

FANDOM: orginial character (w/wheel of time, grisha, mutant/metahuman, winx, tvdu, shadowhunters, and period drama verses)

GENDER: cis female

AGE: 18-26 (depending on universe)

PRONOUNS: she/her

SEXUAL ORIENTATION:pansexual

WANTED DYNAMICS: lovers, friends, enemies, open

*not a starter call*

bio under cut

period drama verse:

ladies maid/maid. very into reading, writing, and the current writings of women’s rights, the rights of the lower classes etc. she is very soft spoken, but do not confuse that with weakness. she is the youngest of 4, only daughter. she tries to be seen and not heard at work, but outside of it she tries to find a way to leave her mark on the world 

mutant/powered verse 

she is the only superpowered member of her family. she found out she was adopted. and she’s on a mission to find her place in the world and her birth parents 

*we can adapt to different versions of mutant/meta humans/super powers individuals.  

powers: unbrakinesis/power negation 

shadowhunters verse 

warlock: almost 100 years old. 

father was an unknown demon. her warlock mark is green scales. she just moved to new york. she was born and raised in the midwest right  before the start of the great depression. she was loved by both her parents who saw her birth as a blessing. her mother was seduced by her demon father, and instead of casting her out, her father loved her and welcomed her as his own daughter. beth trained with a few warlocks over the years. she’s come to new york city to start her life over. 

tvd verse: 

witch 

adopted as an infant, her parents sent her back to the system after seeing she had witch powers, thinking she was some kind of demon. she was found and brought to the Salvatore’s school. she’s trying to lay low, unsure how to truly fit in with people she doesn’t know 

*we can adjust this really to fit any supernatural fandom. 

winx verse 

Elisabeth was raised by her aunt, after her mother died. she is very studious, but doesn’t shy away from a good time. she’s helpful and loyal. she is an air fairy

wheel of time verse

elisabeth is a new novice, who's mother/father are dark friends. she never met them, instead she has been living with her aunt, with the shame all her life. she hopes to become a yellow aei sedai, because she wishes to heal unlike her parents which were destroyers.

shadow&bone/ grisha verse

elisabeth is a distant relative of aleksander with the same powers. (can be daughter, cousin, niece, whatever) she doesn't know this, and had kept her powers hidden because her adoptive parents were killed because her father was a grisha

powers

[dynastymusesarch]

FULL NAME: elisbeth barlowe

FANDOM: orginial character (w/wheel of time, grisha, mutant/metahuman, winx, tvdu, shadowhunters, and period drama verses)

GENDER: cis female

AGE: 18-26 (depending on universe)

PRONOUNS: she/her

SEXUAL ORIENTATION:pansexual

WANTED DYNAMICS: lovers, friends, enemies, open

*not a starter call*

bio under cut.

period drama verse:

ladies maid/maid. very into reading, writing, and the current writings of women’s rights, the rights of the lower classes etc. she is very soft spoken, but do not confuse that with weakness. she is the youngest of 4, only daughter. she tries to be seen and not heard at work, but outside of it she tries to find a way to leave her mark on the world 

mutant/powered verse 

she is the only superpowered member of her family. she found out she was adopted. and she’s on a mission to find her place in the world and her birth parents 

*we can adapt to different versions of mutant/meta humans/super powers individuals.  

powers: unbrakinesis/power negation 

shadowhunters verse 

warlock: almost 100 years old. 

father was an unknown demon. her warlock mark is green scales. she just moved to new york. she was born and raised in the midwest right  before the start of the great depression. she was loved by both her parents who saw her birth as a blessing. her mother was seduced by her demon father, and instead of casting her out, her father loved her and welcomed her as his own daughter. beth trained with a few warlocks over the years. she’s come to new york city to start her life over. 

tvd verse: 

witch 

adopted as an infant, her parents sent her back to the system after seeing she had witch powers, thinking she was some kind of demon. she was found and brought to the Salvatore’s school. she’s trying to lay low, unsure how to truly fit in with people she doesn’t know 

*we can adjust this really to fit any supernatural fandom. 

winx verse 

Elisabeth was raised by her aunt, after her mother died. she is very studious, but doesn’t shy away from a good time. she’s helpful and loyal. she is an air fairy

wheel of time verse

elisabeth is a new novice, who's mother/father are dark friends. she never met them, instead she has been living with her aunt, with the shame all her life. she hopes to become a yellow aei sedai, because she wishes to heal unlike her parents which were destroyers.

shadow&bone/ grisha verse

elisabeth is a distant relative of aleksander with the same powers. (can be daughter, cousin, niece, whatever) she doesn't know this, and had kept her powers hidden because her adoptive parents were killed because her father was a grisha

powers

[hel-starr]

thoughts on the current jsa roster?

thank you for you submitting a question!

(this is the jsa roster i’ll be referring to since it’s the most recent one as of this post)

my main thought on this roster is that it’s monotonous but passable. the team is fairly small similar to the 70’s, but the JSA is now known for being fairly large. green lantern and flash are obvious needs for a FUNCTIONAL JSA roster. i’m extremely biased with power girl and huntress and very glad they’re here together again. the other additions like doctor fate (khalid), stargirl, and jakeem add fun elements to the team due to their advanced abilities at a young age. which might also help strengthen their character when the young justice society joins the books cast. mister terrific and hourman will be joining the cast in issue #6 and i think they’re two wonderful additions!

however wildcat (yolanda) and doctor mid-nite (beth) leave a lot to be desired. truthfully i feel like yolanda is mediocre compared to her predecessor (ted, he’s lame so i see where she gets it from) and beth is mediocre compared to her successor (pieter). beth i can give a pass to, atleast she has stuff going for her as the team’s resident medic / scientist and she has a personality. i can see beth having an interesting dynamic with jay and karen.

yolanda as wildcat never interested me, even back in infinity inc. she barely had stuff that set her apart from ted besides being a meta human with cat like abilities, and a reporter. also she’s redundant with huntress joining the team now, helena can do everything she can + more (martial artist, acrobat, archery, and a cat like fighting style). maybe if yolanda had a personality it could pass, but she doesn’t and i doubt geoff johns can give her one. in the stargirl show she was so boring. if the team really does need a martial artist with a recognizable alias use judomaster. <3 sonia

shameless plug for who i’d add to the current roster. a bit upset that the hawks aren’t in it tbh, shayera and carter look amazing in janin’s art style! jade, rick, al, and obsidian are there because the current roster is basically infinty inc + alan and jay atp, lmao.

[brooklynislandgirl]

💋 Cisco with jokes about Irish being luck force users or something

Tabhair póg dom, is Éireannach mé || Accepting

"Oh…my….Cisco, ya know how incredibly…I mean jus' t'ink about dat for a minute. If we did have dem powahs, alla Star Wars would'a gone different. Not t' mention da Troubles, an' da illegal occupation of Nor'd Ireland, an' you know I'd currently be some idle Duchess of some really awesome castle." She'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Barry or Iris planted the idea in his head, just the tiniest of seeds, and then his beautifully vivid imagination ran with the rest of it until he couldn't help but blurt them out. She would blame the green beer being shared around the lab ~they really do need to find somewhere better to hang out sometimes~ that she hadn't touched and wouldn't let him either. While she's sure that it's just food dye, she can't prove it's not some other nefarious villain plot to make them all sick and leave everything and every one unprotected. Okay, so maybe she doesn't really have the right to make fun of Cisco's far-fetched ideas, when her own are pretty silly. But if they have to be scientific she'll tell him horror stories from the ER one of these days. At least no one's pinched her ~emerald earrings and her own eyes are really the only green she needs to wear~ and she hasn't heard a single person try to sing Danny Boy, and perhaps that's Paddy's latest miracle. The whole thing about snakes seem pretty sketch or at least a metaphor for something else. It's probably a fifteen hundred year old joke celibacy and penises. Of course if she said that he's likely choke on the mudslide milkshake they've been taking turns sipping at. And that's another thing that should really occur to her. Here they are in a corner, sharing a drink and a straw between them, talking about magickal powers ~he knows, she knows he knows, and he just won't call her meta-human to her face out of his own sense of chivalry, she's positive~ and the Force rather than dancing or playing party games with the others. Maybe…just maybe, no one would notice then, if she dragged Cisco into a darker little corner just out of sight. Not that she's ashamed of the thoughts spinning on her head but it would be hard to explain the why of it all. Maybe just maybe she doesn't want anyone else to see the invariable disappointment that will cross his face after. Because somewhere in the course of all her thoughts, Beth relents. Admits, if only to herself, that maybe there's a shred of truth to it all. So when his back is against the wall, when she's on the tips of her toes ~he IS half a foot taller than her~ she finds herself being honest. "I dunno how much luck ya can get, because I'm hapa…only half." With that said, she slips both her hands into his, lacing their fingers together and gently presses her lips to his.

[bethgreeneishopeunseen]

Beth's small green diary/journal

Do you remember Beth’s green colored small diary/journal she had with her from season 3 (Though, it was never really shown but her narration from 4x10 does indicate that she had it in her possession during season 3) to season 4B? I remember from her narration of 4x10, she used her voice to recap the events from the end of season 2 and throughout season 3. She mentioned Lori and her pregnancy with Judith. I don’t know about you but for me, I feel like that specific diary/journal entry she wrote and narrated about in 4x10 is a key and plays a vital role for her to finding Rick, Maggie, Daryl and everyone else from TF (excluding Tyreese, Sasha, Bob, Abraham, and Glenn because they passed away. R.I.P btw), I mean I think she must’ve written other diary/journal entries that isn’t just the one she narrated. If you remember from the first episode of season 4A, Daryl walked to her and see her writing down something on her journal. Idk Taylor but knowing Scott Gimple and the evil tricks and weird tactics he has on his sleeves, the good question to always ask yourself: “Why would Gimple make Beth narrate the events from the end of season 2B and throughout season 3 when it’s not necessary and no other character has done that except her?” And of course, being TD like you, the answer is none other than the fact that Beth’s alive, like duh!

One last thing I want to include in this post so that you, BethGreeneWarriorPrincess, and the rest of TD members and your followers as well can see. Knowing that Tyreese died somewhere in a woodsy area that isn’t too far from Grady but I know for sure it’s in Virginia where Noah’s community was. Rick and TF dug a grave for Tyreese and put his beanie on the cross in some grassfield around the woods area. I feel like we’ll go back to where he was buried as Beth. I think that she’ll see that as the sign that her family had been there before and will probably see that as the first sign leading up to them. Of course, I think she’ll be able to tell that it’s Tyreese’s grave because of his beanie hanging from the wooden cross but I’m not sure. What do you think? What are your thoughts and opinions?

——————————————————————————————————–

“Hey, I know it’s been awhile, and I’m going to be honest. I forgot about you. After the farm, we were always moving. But something happened…something good, finally. We found a prison. Daddy thinks that we can make it into a home. He says we can grow crops in a field, find pigs and chickens, stop running, stop scavenging. Lori’s baby is just about due. She’ll need a safe place when it comes. The rest of us, we just need a safe place to be. I woke up in my own bed yesterday…my own bed in my own room. I’ve been keeping my backpack, keeping my gun close. I’ve been afraid to get my hopes up, thinking we can actually stay here. The thing is I’ve been starting to get afraid that it’s easier just to be afraid. But this morning Daddy said something. If you don’t have hope, what’s the point of living. So I unpacked my bag, and I found you. So I’m gonna start writing in you again. And I’m gonna write this down now because you should write down wishes to make them come true. We can live here. We can live here for the rest of our lives.

[…] We’re not going to die…none of us. I believe now. I believe for Daddy. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know how I could keep going.”

Beth’s diary means so much to me because it reveals so much about her character and how human she is. It’s important.

With that in mind, I think Gimple included the entry for several reasons. He considered the diary important. In the 4x01 commentary, he revealed that when Daryl came to see her, Beth was writing about a trip she had taken to Atlanta (X). Not only does that show how much Gimple values her character, but it also foreshadowed Grady, her next “trip to Atlanta”. (There was also a birdcage in her bedroom with a number “4” inside of it, referring to Slabtown: X.) 

By using a voiceover, which is rare in the show, TPTB called attention to this entry. A “look, this is important!” moment. The entry foreshadowed Alexandria and the other communities in Virginia, where the group is finally able to put down roots so to speak, as well as Maggie’s pregnancy. Because with Glenn gone, it’s just Maggie’s baby. (Notice that Beth only wrote “Lori’s baby” as the group knew of the affair and uncertain paternity.) And Lauren even said that Maggie is trying to build a safe hold for the baby (X), so there’s another thread. Maggie’s sonogram picture also included numbers that referenced issues #35 and #44, both of which allude to Beth through her associations with the comic characters of Alice and Andrea (X). 

Beth will be taking Alice’s escape arc, as she was a nurse-in-training who escaped from Woodbury, and I think Beth will also be her sister’s midwife, assisting Dr. Edwards. Alice helped Lori through birthing Judith, so it’s not unreasonable that Beth would be there for her sister. Gimple was recently on a Talking Dead special this summer and brought up Maggie’s pregnancy (X):

“Hardwick used a question from fans to ask the showrunner if Maggie’s baby would arrive before Season 8 comes to an end. Surprisingly, Gimple completely answered the question. “Maggie’s baby will not be born is Season 8,” Gimple said. “But anything’s possible.”” 

In the comics, we never see the baby be born due to the time jump after the All Out War arc. The baby, Hershel Jr., is about a year old when readers first see him on page. But I’m not sure if the show writers would waste an emotional moment of Glenn and Maggie’s being born, who is living proof of Glenn’s legacy. Gimple is a nerd and very involved with his work, in interviews he tends to give detailed explanations. I can understand being tight-lipped about the upcoming season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he lied in order to preserve a secret. If Beth is connected to Maggie’s pregnancy, I can understand him finding any reason to avoid the topic then. Better to not talk about it at all than risk giving something away.

Furthermore, the diary entry stung for the audience because it reminded them of how much the characters had lost and showed them how much Beth had lost. Because Beth was still relatively unknown to viewers. It introduced us to her internal world and narrative. She’s so astute and she always has been. At seventeen she recognized that what the group needed was some psychological shelter, a place where they could stop running and just process what had happened to them in the past year. From seasons 2 to 3, most people wrote her off as a red shirt, and by pulling back to that time, Gimple is showing them that they’re wrong. Beth was always a complex character, a strong young woman. She just hadn’t had the chance to speak yet. 

Reread the end of the entry again: “We can live here./We’re not going to die.” Those lines reflect Beth’s deepest wishes. This summer my brother and a family friend were watching this episode, and after the voiceover played, they dismissed the entry and Beth as “naïve”. Which, is just a totally wrong reading of her character and the text. Beth knew that they were all on borrowed time, even then. She wasn’t writing out her actual thoughts about their survival, she was writing down her wishes. She just wanted all of them to live and to have some goddamn peace. The diary entry is a rehearsal for Beth’s confession on the porch, where she reveals to Daryl that she just wanted her father to live the rest of his life in peace, to see her sister and brother-in-law start a family, to have some holidays like real people. The last paragraph in the diary further serves to undercut viewers’ perception of Beth’s “naïvety” by having her acknowledge it herself! Even then Beth knew that it probably wasn’t going to happen! She believed but she believed for her father, not for herself. She needed something, she needed a will to keep going. Beth made it through her depression and suicide attempt, but speaking from personal experience, you don’t just walk away from that kind of shit without ghosts, without a shadow over you. Beth made it through her depression, but she had to make the choice to do so every single fucking day.

“I’ve been keeping my backpack, keeping my gun close. I’ve been afraid to get my hopes up, thinking we can actually stay here. The thing is I’ve been starting to get afraid that it’s easier just to be afraid.”

And honestly. I have C-P.T.S.D., which is slightly different and more complicated than general P.T.S.D., but Beth just described my life at the moment. I was abused and betrayed by my entire immediate family, betrayed my close friends. It often feels like my entire world has ended. And I get scared of what would happen if I let people in, and I often have fantasies of living in a big houseboat one day with my cats and sailing off, alone for my whole life. Because that’s safer than people. Beth has P.T.S.D., and she knows that to an extent. She realizes what the apocalypse and what all its traumas have done to her, how she’s changed from the innocent girl she was. But she doesn’t let that girl go. She holds onto this part of herself, but she builds an armor around her to keep her alive. That “just another dead girl” part of Beth will fucking outlive everything.

… Anyway, in regards to the second part of your ask, I do think it’s possible that Beth could come across Tyreese’s grave and recognize the beanie. He would be buried relatively close to Richmond, and from there she would infer that her family probably moved onward. Though I’m not sure if TPTB would do that because Beth doesn’t have much of an emotional connection to Tyreese, onscreen anyway. Tyreese was mostly affected by her death because he felt responsible for it, as he suggested the peaceful hostage exchange. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[greatrunner]

Closing Thoughts - 'Stargirl' s2 (2021)

n0way10 replied to your post: Me watching the last couple episodes of Stargirl s2...

Did you finish the season? How did you think the show handled that one point you said bugged you? (Can’t say unless you finished episode 12 at least)

Yeah, I'm finished. I've been processing the last four episodes since last night (or the night before, or whenever I finally post this). I kinda woke up and completely forgot I watched them, so this is a bit rough and stitched together (b/c I'm backtracking through my impressions of each episode).

Episode ten handled the conflict between Pat and Courtney fine. It was a game of awkward, tension-filled tit-for-tat that allowed the episode to detour and introduce the next season's villains.

(I'm interested in whether or not Keith David will be voice-only like Tony Todd was for Zoom in The Flash, or if his role will also be a physical one.)

But It was like watching myself argue about the plot (if that makes sense). It felt like the writers were trying to cover their bases if they were questioned about their narrative choices.

Again, I get that the information itself (killing someone) really wasn't the point of the conflict, but the fact that Pat kept another secret (broke Courtney's trust) was. I even like the fact that the show doesn't even really have them reconcile/talk about it ever again (because that happens).

I'm saying that I wish it wasn't, because it was more in service of the "divide and conquer" aspect of the Eclipso arc than anything that might've come up between them, or in service to their connections to Cindy or the JSA, in the absence of that.

It just reaffirmed my belief that the "you lied to me 2.0" angle wasn't a strong foundation for a conflict from the start.

I did appreciate that Yolanda nixed Courtney's presumption that knowing the original Wildcat killed someone would convince her to come back to the team when Courtney finally faced her. I appreciate even more that it was Cindy playing on Yolanda's insecurities that did the trick b/c it used their previous dynamic to the advantage of the episode.

(If anything the episode itself got me thinking about how they handled Pat in the flashback sequences.*)

The last three episodes were fine, exciting even. But the writing failed to capitalize on Beth and MidNite's ability to see through Eclipso's illusions, and how it could be used to the advantage of the team. So we got filler action sequences instead of everyone tag-teaming Eclipso together.

I do like how the season introduced Jakeem Thunder and gave us glimpses of his family life. He's always been a fun character (one I'm baffled never saw an earlier adaptation in the DCEU or DCAU, but iknowhwygif). His dynamic with Mike was a breath of fresh air in a largely bleh season. I hope they don't do to him what they did to Jennie.

Meg DeLacy's Cindy Burman might have the most interesting storyline in the season outside of Beth's subplot with her parents (as a continuation of a s1 subplot). Again, if she hadn't been banished to the shadowrealm, she (among other things) might've saved a lot of the season for me.

I wish the show would've waited before having Cindy ask to join the JSA, but the decision itself feels natural to her character given what's she's been through. How she insulated herself with followers as the popular girl, and in turn, was a follower before. The shadowrealm episode wasn't my favorite, but DeLacy was the best part of it.

The final shot with the Crock family at the Dugan/Whitmore house, and turning Eclipso into a piece of burnt toast (hence the Buffy meme) were other moments I enjoyed.

I wasn't crazy about the writers casting Courtney as "light incarnate" as the reason that she (and Starman) can wield the staff. Or that her hating Eclipso was supposed to be this big moral failing for her (b/c she chooses to give people second chances).

The blue-eyed blonde white girl representing "light" in a season where the writers cast its two non-white female characters as "dark" (Yolanda) or "evil" (Cindy) was pretty tone-deaf. It's highlights my problems with the show's take on "light/dark". I wish the reason Courtney can use the staff ended at "because it chose her", not because of "light" (i.e., purity).

Like the reveal about Eclipso's intentions (which felt like a last minute attempt to add depth to a depthless antagonist), they waited too late to make Courtney being possessed matter to the story. It was over as fast it began.

Courtney being taken over feels like it happened so the show could do what Mark Hamill wanted to see happen in The Force Awakens. Starman (Luke) shows up to save Courtney (Rey) from Eclipso (Kylo Ren) as his big reintroduction.

(If Courtney was a dude, I doubt this would've happened.)

Extended Thoughts

(1): S2 really did everything it could to undermine the Green Lantern (Jennie-Lynn Hayden) in an arc where Green Lantern power would basically obliterate an enemy like Eclipso. Whether it was putting her on a bus (twice), refusing to make her an active character in the arc itself, how they handled Jennie was pretty bad.

I was really looking forward to how this character would gel with the established cast throughout the season, what her presence would reveal about the characters as it revealed more information about her. Y'know, actually develop her character?

But instead, they rush her introduction. Her episode is entirely dedicated to Courtney acting like a cop who's constantly profiling her as criminal, and just being jerk towards her. It's like, "you couldn't've teased this out?"

Story beats that typically occurred over multiple episodes for other characters (Rick, Beth, Cindy, and Yolanda) are squeezed into the last couple minutes of her episode (or info dumped), and then she disappears. And when she comes back, it's basically just to play unconscious mediator in Courtney's spat with Pat.

Jennie was only ever used to the benefit of Courtney's (and only Courtney's) storyline. Her own was pretty much neglected. The next season can't fix how they introduced her and then ditched her. That's the baseline, that's the impression they chose to give audiences.

And with everything they to set up for s3, there's a good chance that Jennie will be overshadowed by her "gotta find my brother, Todd" subplot, and eventually, Todd himself (because I don't really trust Geoff Johns/CW to make her the Green Lantern when they can just replace her with a male character).

*(2): Pat's characterization in s2's (episode nine/ten) flashbacks was odd. The show seems split on what kind've tone they want to take with him in the same way it tries to inhabit 40s/50s (white) America and "present day" at the same time.

Pat is either a "Golden Age" personality (where a name like "Stripesy" is goofy, but permissible in the late 2010s), or the "Contemporary" superhero Dad (where a name like "Stripesy" just doesn't work for a modern superhero show, and is a punchline).

s1 was constantly calling him a sidekick for a punchline but largely on the pretense that "looks can be deceiving". He's the affable, too-nice-for-his-own-good Dad cramping Courtney's style until he shows up in a giant robot that he built "with a box of scraps".

Everything the season ends up revealing makes him more of the reluctant mentor (to Starman and Courtney) and roadie historian for the JSA and SSOV than a sidekick (nevermind being the "Big Guy" to Courtney's "Rusty"). He's got insecurities about that, but the gag is more or less discarded when he faces Jordan Mahkent without the robot.

s2 seems to take a more straight-faced approach with him, but that's largely b/c the writers are artificially increasing the stakes with Eclipso (an instance of plot-over-character). And it works to the Pat's advantage the most in the scene with Rick's uncle, where he puts on this veneer of politeness, and then he adopts an attitude I've seen from my parents to bust Rick out of jail with forced consent. Without a doubt, I'll say the "I got some bad in me, too" was probably my favorite moment with Pat after he tried to fight Artemis.

But the JSA vs. Eclipso flashback presents this "golly gee willikers Batman, it's Flash!" personality that's treated like a child ("the superheroes adults are talking"). He doesn't know or isn't much involved in anything the JSA does. It's so jarring, because feels like a parody/exaggeration of s1 Pat's admiration/involvement of the JSA.

And it's hard to take the reconciliation between Pat and Starman at face value, because it's clearly not a relationship of equals, familial or otherwise. Sylvester considers Pat his brother, but the dynamic between them is basically "master and servant" (something Wildcat calls out when he dismisses Pat as a legitimate vote).

Pat's loyalty to Starman feels less like genuine friendship and more of an obligation to his station. It's meant to be a scene about "chosen families", esp. when they reinforce Pat looked after him since he was a kid (when his parents couldn't be bothered). I get the intent, and I like the scene. But everything that came before it makes Pat feel like a guy hesitant to go against his uber rich employer.

And there were really interesting ways of establishing Pat's objection to killing anyone (period). Establishing that conflict between him, Starman, and the JSA. Especially with Flash on his side.

But that would've required making Pat more assertive and present in the conflict. The show takes the path of least resistance by making Pat passive and extremely understanding to a fault. This version of Flashback Pat that doesn't feel like the guy that ran headfirst into a massacre to save some folks who didn't seem to respect him all that much.

(3): The core JSA are jerks? Or at least so self-involved or arrogant that It's hard to feel bad about the dirt nap the ISA ends up giving them outside of the context that Pat, Rick, and Jennie lost people they respected and loved. They basically treated anyone who wasn't a powerhouse pretty dismissively.

In retrospect, the ISA end up coming off as the more interesting or most human of the super groups in the show. The first season leaned into their stupid wealth, self-involved, and self-important attitudes, at the same time it humanized them through their family connections (or lack thereof) and their shaky ability to work as a team. But that's because they're villains, we're taught to expect that from them.

On the flip-side, the JSA are largely held up as noble and heroic figures are venerated in plot-necessitated death by Pat, Courtney, and the show. The writing makes the assumption that we believe that they're good guys, 'worthy' of the mantles they carry as superheroes.

But most of them turn out to be people you don't want to be in the same room for ten seconds. Dr. MidNite, Johnny Thunder, and Jay Garrick Flash seem far more grounded than Hourman, Wildcat, and Starman (who are all ego).

I'm certainly looking forward to the next season fleshing them out a little more (esp. Green Lantern and Dr. Fate, if they get story time), but only in the past tense. If these dudes all come back from the dead, then that rather renders the JSA Jr. and Stargirl kind've pointless.

(4) If I'm speaking about the season in an overall sense, then I would say it's a mess. I think it started out strong, but the Green Lantern episode was definitely a sign of how they were going to handle the rest of it.

(They could've really done something with Courtney being hyper-vigilant in her search for danger. The humor of her hubris was great, but, um, that kid was clearly not dealing with almost being killed multiple times???)

It slowly undermines what made s1 such a great gambit of Raimi-esque superhero television (but like Sleepy Hollow s1, the end of Stargirl's first season is where the problems started).

I felt like death had some real consequences in s1 (legitimized the ISA as a threat), but the final episode of that season allowed s2 to basically render death inconsequential to the storytelling, MCU style.

Doctor MidNite (I) and Starman being "actually, not dead" really bothers me. I'm fine with learning more about them in the past tense, but I think they have and will suck up time better spent on the the established cast of teens and adults.

I'm honestly convinced they were brought back to facilitate the Shade character, and not much else. MidNite (I) was basically benched as soon as he's reintroduced, and I'm not interested in mentor Starman. That's what Pat's for (unless Luke Wilson is, like, leaving the show.... which would really suck).

And if it's not obvious, I really dislike the Shade. He felt inorganic to the to the present day storyline beyond acting as means for bringing Courtney and Cindy back from the shadowrealm. Then there's the fact that, as an anti-villain, he just doesn't work. Not in the way that Sportsmaster and Tigress managed to without the writers trying to make them "complicated" via apologia (a dead sister, not meaning to strand someone in the shadowrealm, and a cold beer between enemies), or lionization of basic human decency.

I liked how things ended for him in his so-called death. That was a descent send off. I hate that the writers resurrected him to keep him around for next season. That was the biggest deflation toward any excitement for s3.

I know Solomon Grundy's shtick is never dying, but if the CGI in the last couple episodes is any indicator, they don't have the budget for his character. Cut him loose.

Like most superhero and streaming-dominant media now, s2 tries to juggle one too many balls and introduces too many subplots into the soup. The end result just feels underwhelming. I'm kinda expecting the same problems of s2 to appear in s3 since the writing is no longer trying to be all that self-contained (those post-credit stingers in s1 not withstanding).

Again, I still think introducing Eclipso this early was a detriment to the family and character drama s1 established. Characters were killed off before they could actually matter, or pushed aside (literally) to entertain the fear demon plot.

Cameron falls to the wayside, and gets a rushed cliffhanger, Isaac (Fiddler Jr.) is killed off unceremoniously, and Artemis Crock (Sportsmaster Jr.) is put on a bus until the last episode.

It's akin to Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Xena introducing their game changers (Glory and Dawn, Callisto's reincarnation, and Eve) in their second seasons instead of their fifth.

Beth and Cindy might be the only characters with some real definition in this season, because they're the only ones who got any development as characters.

[galadrieljones]

Re: bethyl... Are you working a ‘seven years for Rachel to get Leah instead’ angle? 👀 (Trying to figure out from your semi-cryptic message on your other blog)

 Anon!

When I saw the name I went into hyperdrive. I love all the Old Testament allusions in The Walking Dead. Sometimes they’re overt, sometimes they’re implied. This one feels like both. And now I’m just going to go into it:

Season 10 Spoilers Ahead

Reading Daryl and Beth Through a Biblical Lens: Who is Leah?

FIRST: Who is Jacob? Jacob and his brother Esau are important characters in the book of Genesis. I have thought of Daryl as a Jacob character before. Jacob was one of the three Biblical Patriarchs of the Israelites, born in Canaan. He’s a patriarch for his people at the beginning of a new world, a younger brother, “the good son,” cunning, brave, but more a lover, a traveler, not a fighter like his older brother Esau. He sleeps alone on the riverbanks, has visions, wrestles an angel all night long and never gives up. When Jacob’s mother, Rebecca, was pregnant, she asked God why she felt so unwell. God told her that she was carrying fraternal twins, and that they were fighting in the womb, and that they would fight forever. He told her that one day, “the elder would serve the younger.” Esau was born first, then Jacob, holding onto his heel. Jacob means “heeled” or “supplanted,” superseded, undermined. Like Daryl, living in the shadow of his brutish older brother who will hamper him for much of his young life, but who he is destined to overtake. 

Jacob and Esau. Merle, like Esau, is a big, mean brute. He is even described as being covered in red hair. Esau itself means “red” in Hebrew, echoed by Merle’s “redneck” past. By far the less intelligent, the less compassionate, a hawk where his younger brother is a dove. They are patriarchs for separate nations (in the Bible: the Israelites and the Edomites). In the Bible, Jacob flees Canaan after his brother threatens to kill him for usurping his birthright (which Esau “sold” to him, btw, for a simple bowl of stew). Similarly, Daryl must beat or outrun or escape his older brother’s abuse, sometimes directly, sometimes metaphorically, and eventually Merle is at his mercy and “serves” him in the end--re: “the elder will serve the younger”--by sacrificing his life to save Daryl and his people from the Governor.

Jacob’s Ladder. There are two episodes of TWD with big Jacob’s Ladder themes, in which Daryl is directly involved: “Chupacabra” (2.5) and “Chokepoint” (9.13). Jacob’s Ladder refers to a vision that Jacob has of a tall staircase leading up to heaven, with angels climbing up and falling down. The angels that fall represent the coming, various exiles of the Israelites, falling down to signal that the Jews will overcome; however, one angel, representative of the Edomites, or Esau’s descendants, gets very close to the top, signaling Jacob’s fear that he/his people will never be able to overcome his older brother’s power. God promises Jacob from the top of the ladder that Esau, too, will eventually fall. 

The season 2 episode “Chupacabra" shows Daryl falling down and then climbing up a steep hillside, injured, to a bright light at the top, while battling visions of his angry big brother, who he ultimately vanquishes. In “Chokepoint,” Daryl fights Beta (also a total David and Goliath allusion) at the top of a high tower, and he pushes Beta down a steep elevator shaft. Jacob and his people, the Israelites, like Daryl and his group, must overcome numerous trials and exiles, escaping their captors, again and again. 

Meanwhile it is interesting, though perhaps purely in my own self-interest to note that the little house on the way to Haran where Jacob slept and had his vision of the ladder, he named Bethel, aka “House of God.” 

Rachel vs. Leah. And then there are Jacob’s two wives: Rachel and Leah. This is where my Jacob comparison starts to come together on a new level. This Jacob character gets paired with a Leah? Like, no. In Genesis, after leaving Canaan, while on the run from Esau, Jacob goes to his uncle Laban’s farm in Haran. Laban has two daughters: Leah the eldest and Rachel the youngest. Rachel is described as a fair and beautiful shepherdess who Jacob falls in love with. Jacob promises Rachel’s father that for seven years he will work for him, and in return, he will be allowed to marry Rachel.

BUT

After seven years, on their wedding night, Jacob is tricked into marrying Leah instead. Leah is older and described as having sad or “soft” eyes. She appears to him in a veil with her true identity concealed. After the wedding, Jacob is obviously upset. He is in love with Rachel. He waited seven years to marry Rachel. But her father thought he should marry the older girl instead. Laban agrees to then let Jacob marry Rachel as well, if he works on his farm for seven more years. Jacob agrees. 

The story goes on. Leah has many children with Jacob, but Rachel struggles to conceive. Still and always, Jacob favors Rachel, his first love. Eventually, Rachel has a son with Jacob--Joseph, who, as Jacob’s favorite son, Jacob would later gift with the “technicolor dream coat.” Even after Rachel’s death, Jacob does not favor Leah. He takes up with Rachel’s handmaiden instead. 

In this story, Beth will represent the Rachel character: A fair and beautiful shepherdess, younger sister, and farmer’s daughter. Like Beth, Rachel is also characterized as outspoken and brave, having questioned God’s treatment of the Israelites, and questioning with such force, that God responded to say that basically, he was sorry, and they would eventually make it back to their homeland. Rachel is a classically maternal character who famously cries for and defends her children. 

Timeline. The timeline is suspicious. Seven years Jacob waited for Rachel, only to, as you put it “get Leah instead.” If we look at the approximate timeline for The Walking Dead, we can deduce that, at the time of season 10c, and our very convenient Leah spoilers, roughly 7-8 years have passed since the prison's fall and the subsequent events of “Still” and “Alone.” If we apply this to the Daryl/Jacob and Beth/Rachel lens, we can deduce that Daryl has waited for Beth for ~seven years and is now being served, in a surprise twist, someone named Leah. Someone we have never met before, who, up until now, has been “in disguise.” 

Biblical Allegory. It’s worth mentioning that The Walking Dead uses a lot of Biblical imagery and allegory in its storytelling. Whether it’s Rick as Abraham to Carl’s Isaac, or smaller examples such as with characters like Samuel (prophecy kid) or Aaron (Moses’s spokesman). There are many more. The trials and tribulations of Rick’s people can also be looked at through the same lens as the trials and tribulations of the Israelites in Exodus. I mean, think frogs and pestilence, contaminated rivers, diseased livestock, massive storms. Daryl is not a character in the comic books, and neither is Beth. Their characters and character arcs would make sense as extensions of the showrunners’ obvious love for Old Testament storytelling and symbolism. Jacob’s deception and love for Rachel is a good story, and tbh, it kind of makes sense here? 

Conclusion. This is a Biblical analysis of a character arc. I’m not trying to argue that this is foreshadowing Beth’s return. Please don’t quote me on that. BUT: it can be read that way, if you want to use this as meta-analysis of how the show sets patterns for its storytelling. I do recall hearing things about how the showrunners possibly “cancelled’ Bethyl at the last minute, due to backlash over the age difference. If they wanted to make her into Rachel instead, bring her back seven years later, so that she’s no longer nineteen and has lived a little in the world, without Daryl, and to double down on the Daryl/Jacob allusions, while also solving the “Beth is too young” conundrum, I think that would be.....interesting, to say the least. If it is intentional, and I’m not saying it is, but if it is, it’s possible it was planned farther in advance as well? Who knows.

[allatariel]

[abnormal-angel]

And I accidentally watch the twd ep where Merle dies... Nooooooo and fuck the Governor. Hated him more than most...

Let us never forget the time Rick and they all decided Michonne was part of their people and what was the price... And that Daryl really was the catalyst for that decision.

Also funny how pregnant Lori came to Rick when he was trying to decide on giving Michonne away... A preview of Michonne having his child maybe in the future?

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Alien Story as Template for CRM

So, this is something I investigated last week. I told my fellow theorists about it, and they were pretty excited. Then Tales started and I haven’t had a chance to get back to it. But I think it’s very intriguing, and hope you will, too. Here it is:

So, someone commented on my post yesterday about Emily’s psoriasis poem. It was just an off-the-cuff comment, but made me curious, and I went digging. And found some VERY interesting things.

Okay, so Emily’s poem likens the itch of psoriasis to tiny aliens under her skin. Someone commented that there are aliens mentioned in the comics.

I’d totally forgotten about that, and honestly didn’t remember exactly what the reference was, but I remember reading some metas about it from TD-ers back in the day. So, I went to find out what the alien reference from the comics was, and boy did I stumble onto a load of foreshadows and symbolism.

Okay, so the alien thing was this weird, spinoff AU thing that Kirkman did after issue 75. The story in issue 75 is when the group is in Alexandria, and Rick is pissed at Pete, and Michonne hits him over the head and knocks him out in order to rein him in. Michonne hitting him is basically how this issue ends.

So they did what they call a “non-canon, bonus ending.” In it, Rick explodes (yes, physically explodes) for some unexplained reason. He wakes up in a medical setting, and finds that he’s missing an arm. It’s been replaced by a bionic one. 

He puts on some armor he finds and looks for a way out. Eventually, he falls out of a “sky ship.” He soon finds Michonne who tells him that he mysteriously disappeared 3 weeks ago. (There’s that pesky 3 weeks reference again.) 

She also tells him that in the interim, aliens have invaded the planet. Yes, big green monster aliens. Not kidding. She says they are the ones who started the zombie apocalypse. They have technology to make the dead reanimate, and they do it to start an army to do their will. They want to suck the earth dry of WATER, and take the water back to their home planet, because there, it’s used as currency for bartering.

She also says the aliens can bring people back from the dead for real, not as zombies, but only if the person does their bidding.

Then the Governor shows up. He’s alive again, but mostly bionic. I think the bonus ending stops after he kills Michonne in front of Rick and then does Darth Vader’s “join us or die” line. (Read about it yourself HERE.)

Okay, so here’s the thing. This non-canon ending. Weird and campy? Yes. But I’m sure you can see some interesting ties. Especially to the CRM who we know are doing things with water, and experimenting with the reanimation of walkers. And it’s about to get way better. 

But we have to talk about the timeline first.

What I described above was the first bonus ending after issue 75. But there are 5 more short chapters to this AU story. And when I was reading them, I suddenly realized they were published in 2021. And I was like, no, that can’t be right. I remember reading this alien abduction story years ago, after first finding TD. Some TD bloggers were citing it and comparing it to Beth waking up at Grady. I’m sure it petered out quickly because nothing came of it on the show, but they don’t know how on the right track they were. To be fair, I do think what I’ve already given you above is about Rick waking up inside the CRM, rather than Beth, but I’ll get back to that in a minute.

So, after some digging, I realized the original ending came out back in 2010. The other 5 chapters weren’t released until last year. Why would they suddenly, quietly release these years later, especially when they’re not canon, and Kirkman had already, officially, ended the comics? Hmm. Could it be to hint at something?

I even read that some comic fans thought this would really be where Kirkman was taking the story. He had to come out and say that this AU bonus ending was just for fun. With the next issue, he of course continued the normal story at Alexandria, sans aliens or cyborgs.

So, here’s the thing, and I’ll give you more details and links below so you can read them yourselves if you want. But if you substitute the CRM for the aliens, what happens is exactly what we have predicted will happen with the CRM for years, now.

And it’s interesting because Rick sees a lot of characters die. Most of them were still alive at that point in the narrative, but aren’t anymore. For example, he sees both Glenn and Tyreese, but they’re killed by aliens in the course of the story. In the comic books, both Glenn and Tyrese were still alive in issue 75. And I call it AU because obviously they died differently in this story (aliens) than in the canon comic book story. 

But as you get into the later chapters of it (the ones released in 2021) many of the same characters are alive and interacting in the same way they currently are ON THE SHOW. So, for example, there’s a Maggie/Negan thing in this AU world. Basically, she kills him with Lucille, or at least hurts him badly. Not sure I think that will happen in the show, but the point is, there’s a major Maggie/Negan interaction in this AU story that wasn’t in the original comics, and now we have this Maggie/Negan spinoff. And again, these were just put out last year.

Cover of Chapter 3  👇 👇 👇

I’m sure you want to know about Beth, so let me give you the part that REALLY made my jaw drop.

So, quick rundown of what’s happening, and yes, it’s gonna seem weird and campy. Rick sees Lori, who actually IS deceased at this time, even in the comics, so he’s shocked to see him alive. She tries to explain things. An alien attacks and, in short, Lori dies and it looks like Rick will, too. But then an alien is blasted from behind. It’s Andrea, who shows up, kills the alien, and tells Rick, “we don’t die.” (That’s a Morgan line, if I’m not mistaken, right?)

Here's the part that’s, well, AWESOME. For TD, I mean. Andrea heals Rick’s wounds and kills the Governor cyborg. She explains that she and the “Freedom Fighters” have stolen lots of technology from the aliens and can bring people back to life.

Plenty more stuff happens, but the point is, Andrea is a freedom fighter against the aliens (*coughs CRM*) and she takes Rick, heals him, and brings him into the fight. It’s a little unclear, as these are just synopses, rather than the actual stories, but it seems that at one point, the aliens want the Freedom Fighters to ally with them. But then they get word (from Alpha and Beta of all people; again, AU) that the aliens no longer want that and want to kill Rick’s group.

There’s also this thing about Negan’s bat (Negan is still a villain in this story) controlling all the zombies. So, if they get ahold of it, they can control the walker hordes. In short, Eugene manages to take control of the zombies, and Rick and Andrea lead the freedom fighters to victory, both over the zombies and the aliens.

(Cover of Chapter 4  👇 👇 👇)

So, I repeat: if you substitute the CRM for the aliens, and know that a lot of this weird stuff that won’t be in the show is just metaphor, I think this is exactly what will happen in the CRM war. Beth will be a freedom fighter against the CRM. Rick will still lead the people to victory with various other characters (Beth, Daryl, Carol, Maggie, etc) as his generals. I think there’s a good chance Rick will lose his arm. If he was bitten there, the same as Beth, maybe the CRM cuts it off to save him, and he’ll be armless when we see him again. There’s been a lot of foreshadow for that throughout the seasons.

I was also thinking that maybe the reason the CRM might want allies is that their creations (the smart walkers) backfire and turn on them. So, they may need help taking them out. But then eventually turn on TF and try to kill them anyway. Cuz that’s just the way the CRM rolls.

Anyway, I’ll let you read it yourself for more details. But I thought this was super cool. And the fact that they just put the five chapters of this out last year tells me it’s very relevant to where they’re going with the story. Otherwise, why continue a non-canon story years later, after the canon comics have ended, and one that most of the audience (the TV audience anyway) hasn’t even heard of?

Thoughts?

Chapter 75 Bonus Ending (2010)

Chapter 1 (2021)

Chapter 2 (2021)

Chapter 3 (2021)

Chapter 4 (2021)

Chapter 5 (2021)

[not-back-to-this]

What would the batfam listen to? Batman & Co.

Bruce Wayne: Lowkey Emo Boy

~Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Green Day (Don't even try with me on this one) ~Feeling Good- Michael Bublé ~Skyfall- Adele ~Cigar- Tamino ~Indigo Night- Tamino

Dick Grayson: Upbeat Baby

~Dancing Queen- ABBA (If you thought any different then begone ->) ~You've got a friend in me- Randy Newman ~Colors- Halsey ~LOST BOY- Troye Sivan ~You'll be in my heart- Phil Collins

Jason Todd: The Angst is strong with this one

~It's my Life- Bon Jovi ~Old Me- 5 Seconds of Summer ~Back from the Dead- Skillet ~Renegades- X Ambassadors ~The end of Jason Todd- The Smyrk

Tim Drake: OMG Somebody plz get this poor child to therapy

~Unsteady- X Ambassadors ~Team- Lorde ~I'll Die Anyway- Girl in Red (Tim Plz we're all worried) ~The Broken Hearts Club- Gnash ~Serotonin- Call me Karizma ~Five- Sleeping at Last (No I'm not biased towards this one cause I'm an INTP Type 5w4)

Damian Wayne: Entitled Autistic Stab Child-I Love My Demon Son-

~Silent Scream- Damien Dawn ~Outrunning Karma- Alec Benjamin ~Emperor's New Clothes- Panic! At the Disco ~Cold Blooded- Zayde Wolf ~12 Rounds- Bohnes ~Middle Finger- Bohnes ~Habibi- Tamino

Barbara Gordon: Could still kick your ass in a wheelchair-Mom-

~Run the world- Beyoncé ~How to be a heartbreaker- Marina and the Diamonds ~Victorious- Panic! At the Disco ~Confident- Demi Lovato

Cassandra Cain: Selectively Mute baby-My Actual Girlfriend-

~I am not a robot- Marina and the Diamonds ~Shatter Me- Lindsey Stirling ~Lost Girls- Lindsey Stirling ~Battle Cry- Beth Crowley ~Stay Alive- Hidden Citizens

Stephanie Brown- Meme lord Pancake Queen

~Dancing Queen- ABBA (Goddamn it, Dick! Not everyone needs to hear it) ~Girls just wanna have fun- Cyndi Lauper ~I'm a Mess- Bebe rexha

Duke Thomas- No Metas in Gotham ...except him :)

~Bury Me face down- Grandson ~Crossfire- Stephan ~Thnks Fr Th Mmrs- Fall out Boy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They would all definitely listen to...

~ R.I.P To my Youth- The Neighborhood ~Unstoppable- The Score ~Born for This- The Score ~What's Up Danger- Blackway, Black Caviar ~Hey Brother- Avicii ~My Family- Migos, KAROL G, Snoop Dogg, Rock mafia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I honestly don't know much about Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, and Duke Thomas (They aren't really my favorites sorry) So if you have anything to add to their Playlist go ahead.

If you have anything to add to any of their playlist also be my guest :)

Also do the extended fam if you want too (Kate, Alfred, Selina, ect.)

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

International Women’s Day Recs

For International Women’s Day, I wanted to put together a post celebrating books/series by some of my favorite female authors! I’m giving just the briefest of descriptions because otherwise this post would be massive, but if you’re curious I’d love to talk with you more! These recommendations are going to span several genres, but primarily fall under science fiction, fantasy, and romance, and I tried to get a good mix of backlist titles in addition to more recent ones.

Fantasy:

Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones: meta conversations about fantasy + extremely dramatic wizard/angry shouty witch dynamic

The Vorkosigan Saga, Lois McMaster Bujold: complicated female characters + disabled genius main character who makes so many bad decisions but always talks/thinks his way out of them

Tooth and Claw, Jo Walton: Pride & Prejudice but with dragons

Sunshine, Robin McKinley: slow and atmospheric take on vampires

Kindred, Octavia Butler: extremely profound and powerful time travel slavery examination

The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin: amazing world-building of a world that constantly goes through apocalypses + powerful character arcs

In Other Lands, Sarah Rees Brennan: hilarious take on portal fantasies

Trail of Lightning, Rebecca Roanhorse: post-apocalypse Navajo setting +  monster hunter woman with a lot of baggage

Science Fiction:

Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie: gender examination + AI ships + space empire

To Be Taught, If Fortunate, Becky Chambers: novella about the future of space exploration, quiet and profound

Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir: snarky lesbian necromancers solve a locked house murder mystery

The Wanderers, Meg Howrey: character study about astronauts and the people they leave behind

The Murderbot Diaries, Martha Wells: Murderbot just wants to be left alone to watch their soap operas and anime but has to rescue their dumb humans

The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal: alternate history where an asteroid hits Earth and we need to leave for the stars, anxious Jewish protagonist who is extremely relatable

Romance:

The Rogue Not Taken, Sarah MacLean: Regency road trip, extremely sexy

The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang: main female lead has autism and hires a sex worker to help her practice sex

The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary: two people agree to share an apartment by never occupying it at the same time and fall in love

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, Olivia Waite: f/f historical romance with so much detail about the period

Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Talia Hibbert: contemporary, main female lead has a near-death experience and decides to grab life with both hands by hanging out with hunky male lead

Soulless, Gail Carriger: steampunk romance, woman who turns supernatural creatures human again with skin-to-skin contact gets embroiled in a mystery and falls in love with a werewolf

Misc:

Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery: classic female friendship tale with an emphasis on the importance of imagination (books 2 & 3 are my favorites though)

The Dublin Murder Squad, Tana French: murder mystery novels set in Dublin, very character-focused

New Worlds: Year One, Marie Brennan: nonfiction worldbuilding help, discussing all sorts of aspects of societies and worlds

Honorable Mentions:

The previous lists in no way represent all of the amazing female authors out there, so I just wanted to shout out a few more authors who have written books I’ve loved that didn’t quite make it onto these lists:

Courtney Milan, Tamora Pierce, Charlie Jane Anders, Kameron Hurley, Megan Whalen Turner, Mary Roach, Susanna Clarke, Gretchen McCulloch, C.L. Polk, Alyssa Cole, Eva Ibbotson, Alison Croggon, S.A. Chakraborty, Kat Howard, Katherine Addison, and Ursula K. LeGuin